Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
These Bacon Wrapped Green Beans are a fun spin on one of my favourite side dish combinations, bacon and green beans. They look fancy but are incredibly easy to prepare and perfect for weeknight dinner or a fancy dinner party. They are Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Whole30 and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
Green beans and bacon is one of my go to side dish combinations that serve for both weeknight dinners and dinner parties. While a big bowl of green beans is great, wrapping them in bacon adds a touch of elegance and makes them look fancy (when they are really not!). These would be a wonderful addition to a Thanksgiving spread, and also a great side dish to make in advance and bring to a potluck or party.
Why you are going to love these bacon wrapped green beans…
- They are so pretty: Rather than serving a big bowl of green beans as a side dish, these bundles add a nice touch of elegance.
- Great as a side dish or appetizer: These green bean bundles work well as a side dish or fun appetizer/finger food that guests can pick up and eat with their hands.
- Really easy to prepare: These bacon wrapped green beans couldn’t be any easier to prepare and come together in less than 30 minutes.
- A great make ahead dish: you can prep these bundles a day in advance and simply pop them in the oven before serving.
Tips for making these green bean bundles…
- Toss the beans in the sauce: Tossing the beans in the oil and vinegar before wrapping them in bacon will ensure that the flavours are all the way through rather than just at the ends.
- Wrapping the beans: Don’t cut the bacon too short, you want to ensure that the strips overlap by at least an inch because the bacon shrinks and contracts as it cooks. Once you have wrapped the bundles, be sure to place them seam side down so that they don’t unravel as they cook.
- Cook them on a wire rack: Cooking the bundles on a wire rack will help the air circulate underneath which will help the bacon on the underside crisp up rather than become soggy.
Ways to switch these up…
- Not a fan of green beans? Swap them for asparagus! I would recommend bundling 4-5 spears together depending on their thickness. Alternatively you could do a combination of green beans and asparagus in each bundle.
- Use prosciutto in place of bacon: wrap the green beans in 2 slices of prosciutto. The prosciutto will cook faster than bacon so I recommend tossing the green beans in the olive oil and balsamic and baking them in the oven for 10 minutes, before arranging them in bundles and wrapping in the prosciutto to cook for another 10 minutes. This will help to ensure that the green beans are cooked through and the prosciutto doesn’t burn.
- Use turkey bacon to make them pork free!
Can I make these green bean bundles in advance?
This is a great side dish to prep in advance. You can wrap the green bean bundles in bacon up to 2 days in advance. Then all you need to do is brush the bundles in the oil and vinegar before cooking.
Here are a few more easy side dishes recipes that you might enjoy…
- Brussels Sprout, Bacon & Kale Gratin
- Roasted Fennel with Garlic & Herbs
- One Pan Green Beans & Bacon
- The Best Cauliflower Mash
- Caramelized Leek, Fennel & Onion Gratin
- Easy Roasted Carrots
- Sheet Pan Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout & Bacon
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound trimmed green beans trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 strips bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add in the beans and cook for just 3 minutes, no longer. Remove them from the pot and run them under cold water.
- Transfer the cooled green beans to a bowl. Toss them with olive oil, salt, peppr, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Combine the green beans into bundles of 8-10 and wrap each bundle tightly with 1 strip of bacon. Place the wrapped bundles seam side down on the wire rack. Brush any excess oil from the bottom of the bowl over the bacon.
- Bake the bundles in the oven for 18-20 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the ends of the beans are beginning to brown.
Nutrition
No bacon in the ingredient list. Sounds delicious. I’ll be making them tonight.
I love fresh green beans but I like them to still have a bit of a “bite” or crunch. I do NOT like them super soft. Any recommendations on what the texture/crispness of the green beans is with the recipe as written?